1 week Ago
School districts and community organizations in Washington, Greene and Fayette counties have been recognized for their efforts to make sure children are being fed. The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank is giving Child Hunger Hero awards to eight districts and community sponsors in the region. They were evaluated on their involvement in programs such as school meals, summer food, after-school meals, weekend backpacks and school pantry programs.
“The Child Hunger Hero Award Program is our opportunity to say thank you to food service professionals for their work to feed kids,” said Kelsey Gross, food bank director of child nutrition programs. “We recognize the huge amount of work that goes into creating healthy meals for kids, and we thank our partners for ensuring kids have the nutritious food they need to thrive.” Child Hunger Hero Award levels are gold, silver and bronze, and are determined by a points system based on how significantly a partner contributes to a detailed list of child food security program standards.
Area gold winners are the LeMoyne Community Center in Washington, East End United Community Center of Uniontown and the Trinity Area School District. The LeMoyne and East End United community centers were gold winners in February as well. Silver awards went to the Avella Area, Ringgold and Connellsville Area school districts.
Bronze award winners in the region are California Area and Southeastern Greene school districts. “We are humbled by being recognized,” said Trish Robinson, program director at the LeMoyne Community Center. “I was looking at the list with the different high schools and organizations and to be alongside the other winners, it’s a blessing.
I guess it shows that the youths in this area are getting fed. That’s the primary goal.” The LeMoyne Community Center continues to offer programs such as Summer Camp, Summer Feed, Homework and More and the new Community Mobile Feed program.
“It has been such a success,” Robinson said of the new program. “Children are getting fed who can’t make it up to our program. Every Tuesday, we hit a different site in Washington and distribute the abundance of what we get from our monthly food bank and our local donors.
As we get it, we’re giving it back to the community.” Stops have already been made at Jollick Manor, Maple Terrace and Valley View Terrace in Canonsburg. Programs addressing food needs for kids are a focus at the Trinity Area School District.
“It’s amazing,” said Kellie Smith, food service director, of the honor. “We put in a lot of work to make sure the children get fed in various forms.” This includes the district’s nutrition program, breakfast program, after-school feeding, summer feeding, food pantry and food helpers, in which students are given a snack to take home.
“All of those programs go to just making sure children have food,” Smith said. In all, 43 school districts and organizations in 11 counties received the award..
